A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
